Home Care In Richmond, VA

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - A portion of West Broad Street was shut down on Friday night as the Richmond Fire Department worked to put out a 3-alarm fire.

Residents say the fire broke out around 9 p.m. Friday.

A spokesperson for the fire department says crews responded to a five-story mixed-use building on West Broad Street near North Adams Street, which contains commercial space on the ground floor and residential units above.

The building at 101 West Broad Street housed dozens of apartments, a nonprofit and several businesses.

The building is also historical; it’s a former Masonic Temple, built during 1888 to 1893.

At that time, it was the largest building the Virginia Masons had built, and it gave Broad Street a big-city look, according to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

“Upon arrival, crews observed smoke coming from the building and began operations in the basement, which, along with the commercial space on the ground floor, is believed to be the area of origin,” said the spokesperson in an email to 12 On Your Side.

The fire was initially a two-alarm fire. Smoke was also reported on the first and second floors.

A woman who lives on the fifth floor said residents “were told that it was not that big of a deal and that it was only at the 2nd floor at one point.”

Richmond Fire said one person was rescued from the building. No injuries have been reported.

Crews were working Saturday to push water out of the building.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Residents describe evacuation

Shakil Ali, who lives in the Renaissance building, said he was home at the time and heard a knock on his door at about 9 p.m. Firefighters and building management were telling everybody to get out of the building, he said.

“When I opened my door I seen the smoke and I thought the fire was coming from our building,” Ali said. “When we got outside, we realized it was coming from the hair salon on the corner.”

Ali said residents were told they could not go back into the building Friday night because the fire was thought to be out and then started again at about 1 a.m. Saturday.

“I will want to give kudos to the fire department. They were real hospitable to us coming out. They had food out for us. They had drinks out for us, water, Gatorade, things like that. And the environment always kept us abreast of what was taking place. And so, I really appreciated that,” Ali said.

Residents says the building will be partially boarded up while the managing offices assess the damage.

The fifth-floor resident, who did not want to go on camera, said she’s grateful everyone made it out safely, but some people’s losses are still great.

“I know some people with animals found them deceased in their units,” she said. “My unit is relatively fine and my cat is missing, but I have hope that he’s all right.”

She said she knows people whose apartments were completely destroyed.

It is unclear how many people have been displaced by the fire. The Red Cross is providing support to 59 people.

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RICHMOND, Va. — A Halloween tradition took over Richmond's CarMax Park on Friday, giving families from all walks of life a safe and festive place to celebrate the season.

The annual Squirrelloween event let people circle the ballpark while picking up candy and enjoying fall activities. Organizers said the goal was to create a welcoming spot for the whole community.

"It brings out the entire community," said Megan Angstadt, vice president of community and fan engagement.

The celebration, which recently moved to CarMax Park, offered a full lineup of activities.

"We have a craft area, a pumpkin decorating area, hay rides around the field, doing a costume contest, and lots and lots of candy to hand out," Angstadt said.

Angstadt said the event was created with the surrounding neighborhoods in mind.

"We really wanted to be able to provide the neighbors in our area a place to be able to trick-or-treat that maybe didn't have neighborhoods," Angstadt said.

For many families, the event has become a tradition. Some said they have been coming back for years, even before the ballpark changed names.

"We'd been here a couple of times when it was still The Diamond, so now we're just continuing that tradition at CarMax, which is cool," one attendee said.

Others came simply for the fun of the season.

"I like to come trick-or-treating to see everybody's outfits," one trick-or-treater said.

The event also gave strangers a chance to connect.

"I just met my new friend in line," one attendee said.

And with so many candy lovers in one place, there was plenty of friendly debate over which treat reigns supreme. The answers ranged from Reese's to Butterfinger — with a few strong opinions against some classics.

"Dots, nobody likes Dots," one attendee said.

As for the most divisive candy of all? One attendee summed it up while wearing candy corn-themed pants.

"Well, my pants are candy corn, but candy corn is controversial now," they said.

RICHMOND, Va. — No one was hurt after a fire tore through a historic five-story building with apartments and businesses on West Broad Street in Richmond, fire officials said, in a blaze that took crews about nine hours to battle.

The fire broke out just after 9 p.m. in the 100 block of West Broad Street, according to Richmond Fire Deputy Chief Rodney Epps. When crews arrived, they thought they were dealing with a small outside fire, but they soon realized it was coming from the first-floor basement area of the building.

When crews arrived, they thought they were dealing with a small outside fire, but they soon realized it was coming from the first-floor basement area of the building.

Crews tried to put the fire out but found it had begun to spread. About 20 minutes in, the flames reached the second floor, Epps said. Firefighters discovered hidden spaces in the building they couldn't initially reach, which gave the fire time to spread.

The building, in the 100 block of West Broad Street, was originally constructed in 1887 as a Masonic Temple. Today it houses the Renaissance venue — which hosts weddings and other ceremonies — along with other businesses and apartments. Its age and many modifications made the fire harder to fight.

"They realized the fire was actually in more concealed spaces inside this structure, which is old, so that means a lot of modifications have been done," Epps said.

Crews called a second alarm about 40 minutes into the fire and later went to a third alarm to bring in more resources and fresh crews. Epps said firefighters rotated in and out through the night, working the scene for close to nine hours.

SCENE VIDEO: Richmond crews battle flames at downtown building overnight

Despite the long battle, Epps said everyone made it out safely.

"No firefighters hurt, no civilians hurt, and even the dogs came out great today," Epps said.

The building has residential apartments above and commercial establishments below, Epps said. All of the occupants were evacuated earlier, and the businesses downstairs were closed at the time. Some of those displaced were given assistance from the Red Cross.

Crews also worked to get residents' pets to safety. Epps said firefighters helped evacuate all of the animals, with one firefighter caring for a dog until animal control arrived. In another case, crews held onto a dog in a room until its owner arrived to be reunited.

"A couple of people (were reunited) with their animals, so success story all the way around," Epps said.

Epps credited the response to help from neighboring departments, including Henrico and Chesterfield counties, whose crews joined Richmond firefighters on scene.

"All our local partners came in because they know all our resources were down here taking care of the fire," Epps said. "It was a great day, big team effort all the way around."

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Epps said investigators were beginning their work and did not yet know how the fire started.

RICHMOND, Va. — Ask Forrest Spaits what Richmond should know before buying seafood, and his first piece of advice comes quickly.

"I think it's important to know where all your food comes from, at least the most that you can," Spaits told Eat It, Virginia podcast co-hosts Robey Martin and Scott Wise. "If you want better seafood, talk to your fishmonger, someone who knows where it comes from, someone who can help you with recipes and tell you about the different things."

That's the idea at the heart of East End Fish Co., the seafood business Spaits operates inside The Market at 25th at 1330 N. 25th St. in Richmond.

Spaits said he buys from Virginia fishermen when he can and otherwise turns to regional wholesalers.

His display resembles the seafood counter customers might find at a traditional grocery store, but Spaits also makes a point of offering species shoppers may not immediately recognize.

While salmon and shrimp are predictably his biggest sellers, Spaits has also carried sugar toads, the tails of northern puffer fish, and talks customers through how to prepare them.

"They're sweet," Spaits said. "They're almost like little fish lollipops, like a little fish chicken wing type thing."He said getting customers to try something local is part of what he's trying to accomplish.

Running a fish counter wasn't always Spaits' career plan.

Born and raised in Virginia Beach, Spaits grew up around Rudee Inlet and said he developed an appreciation for fishing and seafood as a child.

His mother spent about 15 years working at Il Giardino Ristorante, and Spaits remembers being around restaurant kitchens growing up.

After attending Randolph-Macon College, Spaits settled in Richmond and embarked on a career in accounting, including jobs with Need Supply Co. and Common House.

"I just always knew the whole time doing accounting, I was like, 'I don't want to be doing this,'" Spaits said.

During the pandemic, he became interested by tinned fish and that led him deeper into the seafood industry and eventually to a more practical question: What did his own neighborhood need?

Spaits, who lives in Church Hill, said he noticed there was nowhere nearby for him to buy fresh fish, with many options concentrated in Richmond's West End.

An encounter with the then-CEO of The Market at 25th helped provide an answer. Spaits said they met at a food event, where he explained that he was trying to launch a fish business but couldn't find a space. The conversation led to an opportunity at the market.

"I've been there a little over a year now," Spaits said, "and, you know, just taking a day at a time."

Initially, Spaits operated his seafood business at the market one day a week while working at the University of Richmond. He said he began running East End Fish Co. full time in February.

The career change has involved financial trade-offs.

"I'm definitely not making as much as I was before," Spaits said.

For Spaits, East End Fish Co. is also connected to a larger conversation about Virginia's seafood industry.

During the podcast, Martin and Spaits discussed efforts around Rudee Inlet to improve infrastructure available to commercial fishermen.

Spaits said improved infrastructure could give fishermen more opportunities to unload seafood there and reduce some of the steps between the boat and customers.

That matters in Richmond, he said.

Spaits described a scenario in which he could travel to Virginia Beach, pick up seafood shortly after a boat arrived and bring it directly back to his Richmond customers.

"When you're able to tell that story, that's where the sales come in," Spaits said.

That locally focused industry extends beyond fish. The conversation also touched on Virginia's oyster and clam industries, including Cherrystone Aqua-Farms on the Eastern Shore.

For Spaits, getting shoppers interested in a greater variety of that seafood remains part of the challenge.

Cobia, for example, hasn't moved as easily as he expected, he said.

Higher-priced fish can also be more difficult to sell.

Spaits said cobia in the $27-to-$30-per-pound range has moved more slowly amid economic pressures.

He's also interested in experimenting with spiny dogfish, a type of shark that has not developed the same market among his customers.

Spaits suggested its lower price could give him room to experiment with recipes and offer samples to help customers become more comfortable with it.

What should you look for when buying fish? For shoppers who don't have a fishmonger they know, Spaits said the process can begin by asking questions.

"Where does this come from?" is the first.

Then ask whether it's fresh.

When looking at a whole fish, Spaits said shoppers can also examine whether the gills appear fresh and ruby red and whether the eyes are clear.

And don't be afraid to ask to smell it.

"It's not a weird question," Martin said.

"It's what you should be asking," Spaits replied.

Spaits also encouraged customers to support fishmongers in their own communities, specifically mentioning Tuckahoe Seafood and Shoreline in addition to his own business.

"If that's your community and that's your local fishmonger, go there, support them," Spaits said.

What's next for East End Fish Co.?

Five years from now, Spaits' definition of success isn't exclusively about money.

He said he wants to become more involved with the broader Virginia and U.S. seafood communities and collaborate with people trying to improve food and seafood systems.

But he has ideas for the business, too.

Spaits said he'd love to eventually have his own East End Fish Co. shop along Jefferson Avenue near Spotty Dog Ice Cream Co. He is also interested in premium seafood, techniques such as dry aging and seafood charcuterie, and developing Virginia-focused packaged seafood products.

For now, though, he's behind the counter at The Market at 25th, trying to get Richmonders to learn a little more about the fish they're taking home for dinner.

And perhaps to try something beyond salmon and shrimp.

East End Fish Co. is open at The Market at 25th from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is closed Tuesdays, Spaits said during the podcast. He also sells seafood at Birdhouse Farmers Market.

Listen to the full conversation with Forrest Spaits on Eat It, Virginia, hosted by Scott Wise and Robey Martin.

Richmond, sometimes called "River City" for its location along the James, is about 90 minutes to two hours northwest of Norfolk, home to an active naval base. Depending on the route you choose, there are worthwhile detours along the way, including Newport News on the Virginia Peninsula, and Hopewell, a riverfront city southeast of Richmond at the confluence of the James and Appomattox rivers. If you plump for the latter, you'll find there is a lot to enjoy in the so-called "Wonder City."

The area saw its first European settlers as far back as the 1600s, and was also the site of a skirmish during the Revolutionary War. The settlement witnessed significant action during the Civil War, and was a major Union supply port and the headquarters of General Ulysses S. Grant during the Siege of Petersburg. Over the years, the city has recovered from numerous setbacks, most notably a major fire in 1915 that devastated the city, destroying hundreds of buildings. However, Hopewell has always found a way back, and the nickname "Wonder City" speaks to its resilience.

Downtown, you'll find old-fashioned theaters and a scenic riverwalk that appeal to locals and tourists alike, and there are accommodation options ranging from private rentals to local hotels, making it an excellent overnight option on a trip through southeastern Virginia. If you're looking to fly in, Richmond International Airport (RIC) is the closest option, with the airport located around 18 miles away.

Where to eat and drink in Hopewell

Hopewell sits on the banks of the James River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Unsurprisingly, this means there's plenty of seafood in the area. Several restaurants in and around Hopewell serve up seafood with views of the surrounding rivers, a charming setting for everything from a romantic meal to a solo feast. The Boathouse at City Point is located in the oldest part of town and serves crab cake sandwiches, boiled seafood platters, and beer-battered fish & chips, with patio dining overlooking the James and Appomattox Rivers. The Boathouse has accumulated thousands of glowing Google Maps reviews, many of which highlight the outdoor seating, gorgeous views, and Southern comfort food. One enthusiastic review summed it all up, saying that "The service was phenomenal, the food was absolutely delicious, and the waterfront view created the perfect atmosphere for a relaxing and memorable evening."

For something away from the water, Good Ship Brewing & Eatery is Hopewell's first brewery, and it does exactly what the name suggests. The welcoming spot pairs craft beer brewed in-house with a menu of locally inspired dishes, including wood-fired pizza, and live music adds to the atmosphere on select nights, making this a lively place to unwind in the Wonder City. However, if you're after a taste of Southern comfort food, head to Saucy's Sit-Down Bar.B.Q., a casual spot serving smoked meats and hearty sides.

The history of the Wonder City

Although many of Hopewell's commercial buildings burned down in the fire of 1915, there are still centuries-old properties in the area. Visitors can tour the 18th-century Weston Manor, which is maintained by the Historic Hopewell Foundation. The former plantation house served as Union General Philip Sheridan's headquarters during the Civil War (according to the National Park Service), and it retains much of its original woodwork and interior detailing. One review on Tripadvisor added that "The fireplaces and craftsmanship around them [are] exquisite, while the dark wood, brick, and low ceilings in the cellar remind you of an old English tavern." Guided tours run from April 1 to December 15, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Adult tickets are $8 each.

City Point, Hopewell's oldest neighborhood, is also home to the City Point Open Air Museum. The museum brings together dozens of historic sites, including General Grant's former headquarters at Appomattox Manor and St. John's Episcopal Church, which has stood here since the 1840s.

Downtown Hopewell's historic district reflects the city's rebuilding after the fire. Here, you'll find the Beacon Theatre, an early 20th-century landmark with Art Deco and Colonial Revival details that hosts live performances, alongside 1920s-era office buildings and the Hopewell Municipal Building, distinguished by its imposing stone columns. More than a century after the fire of 1915, the Wonder City's historic buildings remain woven into the fabric of a city that has repeatedly rebuilt itself.